Six Feet Under Me
by Amy8
Summary: POST-GIFT. Riley comes back to Sunnydale only to discover that you-know-who has kicked the bucket.


SIX FEET UNDER ME  
By:Amy  
Distribution: Sure, I'd like to know, of course.  
Disclaimer: Only in my dreams, only in my dreams.  
Summary: We all know that Riley loved Buffy A LOT. Now imagine him coming back to   
Sunnydale only to discover that she has died. What would that be like? Read on to find   
out.  
Rating: I think I used the word s**t once. Other than that, it's okay for everyone!  
  
  
  
  
"Riley! Wake up! We're here."  
  
At the sound of Graham's voice, I woke up, only to find myself aching from the extremely   
uncomfortable seating in the back of the helicopter.   
  
"Here already?" I asked, groggily.  
  
"Good ol' Sunnydale. Did you miss it?" Graham said, clearly feeling more chipper than   
usual. Normally, I would be happy about it, but I really wasn't in the mood.   
  
"No." What else was I gonna say? I hate this town. Graham just looked at me, a little   
surprise swept across his face.  
  
"Really? There isn't anything about this town that you missed?...anyone?" Graham replied,   
obviously trying to spark a response out of me. I just looked at him.  
  
"Yes, Graham. I am going to visit her. It's the courteous thing to do." The dumb bastard   
just scoffed at me.   
  
"Yeah, SURE. The only reason you're gonna visit her is because it's POLITE. It has   
nothing to do with the fact that you AREN'T OVER HER or anything."   
  
"Yes, Graham. I am over her. I have been for a long, long time." I lied. I wasn't over   
Buffy. I loved that girl so much and she didn't want me.   
  
At that, he didn't say anything. I guess he realized that there wasn't any point in arguing   
with me. I found out I was right when he decided to change the subject.   
  
"So, our mission here is to find this Golmary demon's nest and kill the hatchlings right?   
They said it was here in Sunnydale, it's just a matter of looking in the right places."  
  
At that, I just nodded and went to get out of the helicopter. Graham followed me and we   
went to go search the cemetaries.   
  
By the fourth one, we were getting closer into the heart of town, closer to Buffy's house.   
Which was a thought that just wouldn't seem to leave my mind. Meanwhile, Graham and I   
were starting to get very bored. There wasn't anything. No demon nests, no demons, even   
no vampires.   
  
"God, Riley, This town is DEAD! Can't we leave and pick up again tomorrow?"  
  
He had a point. There wasn't anything happening here and it probably could wait. "Okay,   
we'll finish up this cemetary and then call it a night."   
  
Ahead in the bushes was some rustling. We had spoken too soon.  
  
It turned ot to be a vampire who saw us and immediately ran. In need of a good fight, we   
both started running after it. I got to be ahead of Graham by a good ten yards. I almost   
had the vampire when something else caught my attention. I stared at the headstone, in   
shock. It couldn't be. It just couldn't be true.   
  
"Hey, Riley! What the hell happened to you? What happened to the vamp?" Graham then   
looked at my face clearly seeing my heart breaking. All I managed to do was let out a   
breath and drop to my knees. Just staring blankly at the headstone. Graham started to   
walk toward me, clearly confused.  
  
"What are you staring at? Who's headstone is tha-......Oh." Graham read the headstone.  
  
Buffy Anne Summers  
1981-2001  
Devoted Sister. Loyal Friend.  
She saved the world   
A lot.  
  
I couldn't lie to myself. After discovering that I was coming back to this town, I played   
out a million scenarios about what it woud be like to see Buffy again. I yell at her for not   
coming to get me. She yells at me for putting her on the spot. She runs into my arms   
begging for forgiveness. I sweep her off her feet and kiss her senseless. But this, I truly did   
not see this coming. She died? How? When? HOW WAS IT POSSIBLE???? Buffy was   
stronger than any human being that I had ever met, stronger than all members of the   
military I have encountered over the years. I never got to apologize to her! I loved her so   
much and I'll never get to see her beautiful face again. Just then, Graham knelt down   
beside me and patted my back comfortingly. All I could do was close my eyes. And let the   
tears flow down my face.   
  
"Look man, I'm so sorry. I know how much she meant to you." Graham really was a nice   
guy. He could see that I was broken. He hardly knew her and he was still trying his best to   
make this easier for me. Forrest, who also didn't know her, could only bitch and whine   
about Buffy. And now she was dead. Buffy Summers is dead. Buried in the ground 6 feet   
under me.  
  
"Riley? Can you hear me?"   
  
I should probably open my eyes. That way Graham will see that I haven't gone catatonic.  
  
"I need answers." Was all I could bring myself to say. What else was there? Right then, I   
wasn't sure I would be able to say her name without completely breaking down.  
  
"Yeah, Of course you do. Why don't you go to that Magic Shop where...Buffy's friends   
usually hang out, get them to tell you what happened."   
  
Good idea.   
  
Much to my insistence that I was fine, Graham insisted on accompanying me. When we   
got to the shop, I was almost surprised that they were all there. Busily reading musty   
books and taking frantic notes.   
  
I opened the door so fiercely that I broke it off of it's hinges. Everyone looked up at the   
sudden noise.   
  
"Riley! How are you-" Willow stopped suddenly, maybe she caught a glimpse of my red,   
puffy eyes and tear-stained face.  
  
"H-How'd you find out?" She finished.  
  
"We were chasing a vamp through the cemetary when I got.a little distracted by her   
headstone." I could tell that my voice was quivering but I didn't care. I still couldn't get   
my mind to think clearly. At that point, everyone was silent and I was starting to get   
frustrated.   
  
"So, are you gonna tell me what happened or not!" I started to yell. And that's when Giles   
stepped in.  
  
"Alright! I'll tell you everything but it's imperative that you remain calm. Are you ready?"  
  
I nodded and sat down next to Willow.  
  
"Okay, then let's begin with Dawn." Upon hearing her name, Dawn tensed up, knowing   
what was coming next.  
  
"Dawn is what as known as The Key. She is an energy force that unlocks the doors that   
separate our dimension from other demon ones."  
  
Giles took a beat in order to let me absorb what I had just heard.  
  
"So..she's not human?" I ask, confused. Giles quickly corrected me.  
  
"Oh no, she's quite human. It's just she wasn't always. Anyway, there was a Ruler of one   
of the demon worlds who wanted to return home. She got a hold of Sawn to perform the   
ritual, and in order for the ritual to begin, Dawn's blood would have to flow. Once it has   
begun, the only way for it to stop is for Dawn to die."  
  
I really felt bad for this group. They never caught a break. The whole fiasco with Adam   
was one thing and then they got a bigger badder problem to deal with. Unfortunately, I   
still didn't have the answer I came for.   
  
"So, how did BUFFY die?"   
  
"Well..Needless to say, the ritual WAS started and Dawn knew what needed to be   
done. The only problem was that Buffy had a knowledge that none of us had. The people   
who made Dawn a human, used Buffy's blood. So, Buffy chose to sacrifice herself so that   
Dawn could continue living a normal life."  
  
I was amazed. There really wasn't any other word I could think of that could describe   
how I was feeling. I always knew she was a hero. She had saved the world hundreds of   
times and now she had died, not only saving the world, but proving a greater kind of love   
than anything I could have possible given to her. She showed that she loved Dawn so   
much that she would die for her. I did love Buffy a great deal. But I think my need to be   
with her overpowered any idea of dying for her.   
  
Buffy had died so Dawn could continue living.   
  
Buffy had died saving the world.   
  
She was a hero in my heart and in my soul and I had nothing else to say. I said my   
goodbyes to all of her friends and Graham and I left.   
  
Buffy was dead. There was nothing I could do to change that. I would do my best to   
move on although she would never be out of my heart. She touched me in a way that no   
one else ever has and probably never will. When Graham and I parted ways, I went to the   
flower store and bought a beautiful bouquet for my Buffy. I wanted to pay my last   
respects to her telling her how sorry I was that I left her and that I never got to tell her   
how much she meant to me. All I could do was wish that she gets the rest that she   
deserves.  
  
THE END.  
Come on. You know you want to review it. There's some feeling in that head of yours   
that came from this story. All I ask is that you type out that feeling into the little box at the   
bottom of the screen. Good or bad, I wanna know!  
  
  
  



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